Military supports dialog to ease Timor tension

DILI, East Timor (JP): The military would fully support Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo's proposal for a frank dialog to help solve the numerous problems in the territory.

East Timor officials have, in fact, engaged in talks but they have yet to be institutionalized, Maj. Gen. Abdul Rivai, chief of the Udayana Military Command, who oversees security in Bali, Nusa Tenggara and East Timor, said here Thursday.

"An open and communicative dialog between East Timorese and the government could be effective to solve problems here," said Rivai, who assumed his post on Monday replacing Maj. Gen. Adang Ruchiatna.

Bishop Belo proposed an open dialog earlier on Thursday when he met with activists of the powerful pro-government Pemuda Pancasila youth organization.

Belo is generally seen as a unifying force in East Timor, a predominantly Roman Catholic, ex-Portuguese colony of about 800,000 people which integrated with Indonesia in 1976.

He made the suggestion in the wake of religious and ethnic violence in the streets of Dili. About a dozen people were arrested, several houses destroyed, vehicles torched and a market burned down last week.

The series of violent incidents were sparked by a local justice ministry official who allegedly made insulting remarks about Catholicism. But Belo stressed that the incidents were only the tip of the iceberg.

Belo said he wanted frank and "communicative" dialogs that involved representatives from the government and various other groups.

According to Belo, dialogs have taken place but they have been "instructive" rather than two-way communications, with the government taking the initiative.

"Such an instructive approach has proven to create more problems rather than resolve the existing ones," he said.

Rivai said that cases of rioting and social in East Timor are usually triggered by conflicts related to the sensitive issues of race and religion.

"Rioting and social unrest usually occur because people do not know how to manage their differences," he said.

In a recent interview with The Jakarta Post, Bishop Belo said that the recent flurry of religious and ethnic violence and the local people's frustrations stem from numerous social injustices.

"Students who went on the rampage on the streets of Dili had, in their minds, tales told by their parents, relatives, and friends about how frustrating conditions in East Timor have become," he said.

He said that many indigenous people are frustrated to find more skilled migrants dominating political and economic activities in the territory.

He added that riots are increasing in frequency because the incoming propagators of other religions often lure the natives with money to change their religion. "They also build places of worship everywhere without official permits."

Belo suggested that the government evaluate its development policies and enforces its laws indiscriminately in the former Portuguese colony so that the natives will be more open to migrants and more law-abiding.(yac/imn)